Al Gore YouTube Spoof Not So Amateurish. Republican PR Firm Behind 'An Inconveni

[Guest guest]

" Mary " <XMJMac

Sun, 06 Aug 2006 02:18:59 -0400

[Air_America_Radio] Al Gore YouTube Spoof Not So Amateurish,

Republican PR Firm Said to be Behind 'An Inconvient Spoof'

 

 

 

 

Dear Folks,

 

Geez, don't they have anything better to do? With all hell breaking

out over in the ME, they feel this is more important? Unbelievable!

 

Mary!

 

 

 

Al Gore YouTube Spoof Not So Amateurish

 

Republican PR Firm Said to Be Behind 'An Inconvenient Spoof'

 

By JAKE TAPPER AND MAX CULHANE, ABCNews.com

 

 

 

(Aug. 5) -- A tiny little movie making fun of Al Gore, supposedly made

by an amateur filmmaker, recently appeared on the popular Web site

YouTube.com.

 

At first blush, " An Inconvenient Spoof " seemed like a scrappy little

homemade film poking fun at Gore and his anti-global warming crusade.

 

In the movie, Gore is seen boring an army of penguins with his lecture

and blaming global warming for everything, including Lindsay Lohan's

thinness.

 

But when the Wall Street Journal tried to find the guy who posted this

film — listed on YouTube as a 29-year-old — they found the movie

didn't come from an amateur working out of his basement.

 

The film actually came from a slick Republican public relations firm

called DCI, which just happens to have oil giant Exxon as a client.

 

Exxon denies knowing anything about the film, and DCI says, " We do not

disclose the names of our clients, nor do we discuss the work we do on

behalf of our clients. "

 

Distrust of Mainstream Media

 

Media ethicists say that if DCI is behind " An Inconvenient Spoof, "

they should fess up.

 

" Without the disclosure, it's really ethically questionable, " said

Diane Farsetta, a senior researcher at the Center for Media and Democracy.

 

Another question is why would this movie be done in a seemingly

unprofessional way, to be shown alongside YouTube's mostly amateur

videos, which feature lip-synching, odd performances and funny satires?

 

" They want it to look like this came from someone who really believes

this, who is really critical of Al Gore and global warming, " Farsetta

said.

 

Ana Marie Cox, the Washington editor of Time.com, said Americans have

come to distrust the mainstream media.

 

" They're more likely to believe something that comes straight from the

horse's mouth, " Cox said.

 

Public relations firms have long used computer technology to create

bogus grassroots campaigns, which are called " Astroturf. "

 

Now these firms are being hired to push illusions on the Internet to

create the false impression of real people blogging, e-mailing and

making films.

 

" People will become more savvy, and then the people who are making the

fake videos will become more savvy about how to cover it up, " Cox said.

 

So next time you're reading something on the Internet from a " real

person " pushing a movie or defending an actor's alcohol-fueled rant —

be wary. That real person might actually be a hired gun, selling you

an idea through deception.

 

8/05/06

 

Copyright

 

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Click Here: Al Gore's Penguin Army